The present invention relates to an individual container that can be assembled to a multiple storage container, in particular a multiple filing box, for receiving plate-like objects or the like, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Multiple storage containers for flat, for example plate-like objects, have been previously known. If, for example, a total musical production consists of several records, these are delivered in cassettes, which are then packed separately in paper pockets and arranged in a common multiple storage container. Further, there has been known an arrangement where a multiple container composed of several flat individual containers or pockets is connected at its lower end, across all pockets, while the other end can be opened in the form of a rosette, in the manner one would open a chinese lantern, whereby the downwardly tapering pockets are opened and rendered accessible. However, such a container is connected with the disadvantage that only very thin objects, for example sheets of paper, can be arranged therein, while it is not suited for receiving, for example, boxes because these are uniform in thickness over their full height so that it would be impossible to close a rosette-like container of the described type if such boxes were stored therein.
It has also been known to arrange certain plate-like objects, for example so-called floppy discs for calculators or computers, in stacks and to file them in this manner. However, when a specific floppy disc is required to be used, then the whole stack of floppy discs or other storage means available--which may also consist of so-called CD-ROM boxes--must be looked through by hand, in the case of the conventional storage methods, because in order to read the labels and to select the required disc the container must be opened or in any case the other containers arranged on top thereof must be removed.
Now, it is the object of the present invention to provide an individual container for receiving plate-like objects of any desired type, in particular floppy discs or CD discs or CD-ROM boxes, which accordingly may themselves, as closed cassettes, present a box-like shape, which container enables the individual cassette or disc to be introduced in a simple manner, which forms simultaneously the packing, shipping and sales envelope for the plate-like object contained therein, and which finally can be assembled with other containers of the same type to provide an integral multiple filing box which in turn presents certain special properties, which are derived from certain properties of each the individual containers, i.e. mainly the property that the filing box can be opened by a pulling action by which all cassettes contained in the individual containers are rendered accessible simultaneously.